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Learning Japanese |OT2| Love in the Time of コロナちゃん
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SlimeGooGoo
Banned
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Zambatoh
Member
I'm still learning myself, but In my experience the best way to start, is to learn the two Kanas first. Specifically Hiragana and Katakana.Where do I start?
Learning these two alphabets can be done in any number of ways including using Duolingo's study guide, various mobile games/apps. There's also couple of PC games called "Learn Japanese to Survive - Hiragana" and it's Katakana and Kanji equivalents.
After this though, you might attempt to learn kanji, but you're also gonna want to supplement this with grammar and vocab words. Learn how to put sentences together. Also some words can mean different things depending on how they're spelled. For example: Kami means paper when written one way and when written another way, God.
SlimeGooGoo
Banned
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SlimeGooGoo
Banned
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Zambatoh
Member
I don't know about "official" tools, but there are plenty of Machine Translation apps out there, including Google translate.
Just don't try to translate entire sentences with them.
Porcile
Member
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
I don't think I've posted in here yet, but I've been (seriously) learning Japanese since February. I say "seriously", because I've picked up a bit of a hodgepodge of the language through various means off and on over the last 25 years.
I started out with a bit of a refresher course in the kanas, until I could accurately identify all hiragana and katakana and their diacritics. For those I used Tofugu's guides (which were super duper helpful at getting my old ass to remember stuff) and the open source Fun with Kanji app.
Meanwhile, I did a couple of levels of Duolingo, which was fantastic at first, but kinda fell off the cliff of practicality near the middle of section two. It was still worth investing time into though, because it was a good way to learn a few basic phrases and to hear them out loud.
I've moved on now to studying in four different approaches:
I'm definitely still a beginner, but I feel like I'm making progress and hope to keep going with it. My wife and I are planning a nebulous trip to Japan "at some point when we can afford it" - so hopefully by the time that happens, I'll be able to get along fine.
I started out with a bit of a refresher course in the kanas, until I could accurately identify all hiragana and katakana and their diacritics. For those I used Tofugu's guides (which were super duper helpful at getting my old ass to remember stuff) and the open source Fun with Kanji app.
Meanwhile, I did a couple of levels of Duolingo, which was fantastic at first, but kinda fell off the cliff of practicality near the middle of section two. It was still worth investing time into though, because it was a good way to learn a few basic phrases and to hear them out loud.
I've moved on now to studying in four different approaches:
- Listening / Speaking: Pimsleur. I find this to be the ideal way to learn new phrases, although it's totally focused on listening and speaking - so there is no writing. This has the added benefit (for me) of being able to learn / practice while I'm hiking in the woods and nowhere near a computer.
- Grammar: I picked up a few Genki and other entry-level textbooks, and have been spending time studying them and going through the workbooks.
- Writing / Kanji: I've been using the Fun with Kanji app, Genki's "look and learn" textbook, and Tofugu's Wanikani website.
- Immersion: I've been listening to nothing but Japanese language music since February. If a movie, TV show, or video game has a Japanese language option, I've activated it. I've watched a lot of Youtube videos about places to visit in Japan, in Japanese.
I'm definitely still a beginner, but I feel like I'm making progress and hope to keep going with it. My wife and I are planning a nebulous trip to Japan "at some point when we can afford it" - so hopefully by the time that happens, I'll be able to get along fine.
I'm back on the language learning train again. Although I don't really feel like I've progressed that much since earlier this year. I plan to immerse myself a lot more though. I listen to a lot of Japanese learning podcasts and study for about 30 minutes a day with notecards. I'll start the writing studies next week. Maybe I'll feel like I've made progress if I'm reading everything in hiragana and katakana.
It is so annoying being familiar with a word that you hear in Japanese interview but forgetting what it means. At least I'm getting a better gist of the conversation these days.
It is so annoying being familiar with a word that you hear in Japanese interview but forgetting what it means. At least I'm getting a better gist of the conversation these days.
I took a month off this summer. I was consuming a lot of Japanese media (in English). I read the Japanese visual novel Witch on the Holy Night, have been watching the Monster anime series, and watched the Suzume movie. All excellent. That got me thinking. How about I try learning Japanese?
I would love to be able to read VN's in their original Japanese. The translations can be dodgy and many VN's are untranslated. At some point I would like to visit Japan and even knowing a bit of Japanese would help.
I've only been at it a week but have so far learned the hiragana. That's a start. I have a beginner's Japanese book coming - not Genki but something cheaper. I am a good visual learner but weak auditory learner. A good book will be important to me.
Next, I would like to learn how to put sentences together, then a bit of kanji, before circling back and learning the katakana. I think it will be important to learn how to put sentences together before learning a bunch of vocabulary I do not know how to use.
I find the lack of spaces between words in Japanese odd. On the other hand, I find the use of diacritics a great way to indicate a similar sound in a lower register, than using a new set of symbols.
I understand that the Korean language no longer uses Chinese characters or only in a very limited way. I understand that after WWII, both the South Korean (not sure about the DPRK) and Japanese governments decided to eliminate Chinese characters from their languages. That stuck for South Korean but not for Japan. Apparently post-WWII, literacy in South Korea was very low so there was not as much push-back as in Japan about eliminating a big part of their written language.
We'll see how far this goes. So far this has been interesting and I look forward to learning more. Maybe at some point I will try taking the N5.
I would love to be able to read VN's in their original Japanese. The translations can be dodgy and many VN's are untranslated. At some point I would like to visit Japan and even knowing a bit of Japanese would help.
I've only been at it a week but have so far learned the hiragana. That's a start. I have a beginner's Japanese book coming - not Genki but something cheaper. I am a good visual learner but weak auditory learner. A good book will be important to me.
Next, I would like to learn how to put sentences together, then a bit of kanji, before circling back and learning the katakana. I think it will be important to learn how to put sentences together before learning a bunch of vocabulary I do not know how to use.
I find the lack of spaces between words in Japanese odd. On the other hand, I find the use of diacritics a great way to indicate a similar sound in a lower register, than using a new set of symbols.
I understand that the Korean language no longer uses Chinese characters or only in a very limited way. I understand that after WWII, both the South Korean (not sure about the DPRK) and Japanese governments decided to eliminate Chinese characters from their languages. That stuck for South Korean but not for Japan. Apparently post-WWII, literacy in South Korea was very low so there was not as much push-back as in Japan about eliminating a big part of their written language.
We'll see how far this goes. So far this has been interesting and I look forward to learning more. Maybe at some point I will try taking the N5.
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I pretty much have done a reboot on my language learning this time around. I'm currently mastering katakana. For some odd reason katakana never stuck when I studied it in the past. I do have the Genki book and will start studying with that when I have feel I have completely mastered hiragana and katakana. Still studying vocab but mostly just reviewing the old jlpt 5 vocab list right now. I'd like to have the jlpt 5 and 4 vocab mastered by the end of this month. Will probably work on Genki next month.
I feel solid on the hiragana but need more practice on the katakana. Some of the katakana characters are easy, others not so much:
ツ シ
ソン
This phone app has been fun for learning kana:
brunchycafe.com
I started playing Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ (on the Switch) and spent time wandering around the city reading the signs. I could read a lot of the katakana in the modern shopping area in the game, like note(book) PC, tablet, etc. Though I was thrown a bit by the different font than what I've learned the kana on.
Next step is probably Genki 1. Before learning a bunch of vocabulary in the abstract, I'd like to learn how to put basic sentences together and use the vocab in those sentences.
ツ シ
ソン
This phone app has been fun for learning kana:
The Japanese Language RPG Quest - JLRPG Quest by Brunchy Cafe
Welcome to the Japanese Language RPG Quest! We're here to make learning Japanese fun! No more boring flashcards or memorizing lists. Adventure through our game to learn and practice Japanese!
brunchycafe.com
I started playing Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ (on the Switch) and spent time wandering around the city reading the signs. I could read a lot of the katakana in the modern shopping area in the game, like note(book) PC, tablet, etc. Though I was thrown a bit by the different font than what I've learned the kana on.
Next step is probably Genki 1. Before learning a bunch of vocabulary in the abstract, I'd like to learn how to put basic sentences together and use the vocab in those sentences.
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Shake Your Rump
Banned
Just discovered this topic here. I started learning Japanese back with Splatoon, just so I could read the player names. Now, I'm muddling through a few manga and know a few hundred kanji.
Learned katakana and hirgana on my own. Did Genki I with a tutor. Been doing wanikani for years. I took a break from everything during Covid years, but been getting into reading over the past year.
My goal has always been to play Final Fantasy VII in Japanese.
Learned katakana and hirgana on my own. Did Genki I with a tutor. Been doing wanikani for years. I took a break from everything during Covid years, but been getting into reading over the past year.
My goal has always been to play Final Fantasy VII in Japanese.
I've taken the next step in my 日本語 journey. I got the Genki 1 textbook and workbook.
So far I'm impressed with the Genki textbook. I downloaded the Genki audio files which have been helpful.
Before getting Genki, I made sure I was solid on hiragana and katakana. I see in Chapter/Lesson 3 they stop using romanji, which is good because I want to wean myself of romanji.
So far I'm impressed with the Genki textbook. I downloaded the Genki audio files which have been helpful.
Before getting Genki, I made sure I was solid on hiragana and katakana. I see in Chapter/Lesson 3 they stop using romanji, which is good because I want to wean myself of romanji.
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Well I got back into it late last year and mostly just focusing on vocab, but unfortunately in romanji. Which is stupid since what I really want is to be able to read Japanese. I'll move into writing in hiragana and katakana after I've filled up 2 more notebooks in vocab studies. I've been making tons of progress but this cold I got recently is killing my studies.
I totally forgot about Genki. Found the book though. I'll probably focus on that book after my 2 notebooks. It is irritating though listening to these songs and watching these anime and understanding a lot of it but not being able to put it together or when I do put it together it comes out sounding cold like a machine language version versus of what it says in the subtitles.
I totally forgot about Genki. Found the book though. I'll probably focus on that book after my 2 notebooks. It is irritating though listening to these songs and watching these anime and understanding a lot of it but not being able to put it together or when I do put it together it comes out sounding cold like a machine language version versus of what it says in the subtitles.
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Tams
Member
I'm not going to say that learning vocab in romaji is absolutely taboo, as the vocab will help you.
But you're going to have to learn and use kana anyway, so it's probably better to do it first.
It should only take a couple of weeks of good studying and practice to get them down pat. Doing so will also help with the resilience you're going to need for studying a language.
Genki is alright. Tobira is better if you want a traditional textbook. However, I suggest the digital Human Japanese series. It also covers kana and a handful of kanji.
The people who made Human Japanese also run Satori Reader, which is a subscription service that is fantastic. It's for use after Human Japanese.
Combine that with NHK News Web Easy, Anki, a Japanese dictionary (I use Takoboto), and some Japanese media, and you're good to go.
I also use the Kanji Study app every day. I feel it more makes you feel like you're learning than actually getting you to learn anything though.
I was not aware of the Tobira textbook. I'll check it out.
I like Genki. I find the explanations on grammar to be quite clear. It is the only text book I've used so far. That being said, it is very focused on university students - people in that stage of life and the sort of vocabulary that would be of use to them. It's been several decades since I went to university...
I'm solid on hiragana, and decent at katakana. I try to avoid romanji entirely. I know most of the N5 kanji (about 100 kanji), in terms of being able to recognize their meaning, but not in drawing them.
My struggle is learning new vocabulary - I need to increase my rate of speed on that. It takes me a while to learn the 40-50 new words introduced in each chapter of Genki. I make my own flashcards (from paper index cards).
For learning, I prefer old school - pen, paper and a physical textbook. Screens are ok to supplement, but as my main learning tools I like paper. Of course every one learns differently. Through this process, I am learning about how I learn, which in itself is an interesting process.
At some point I need to start with comprehensible input in easy Japanese. But I think I need to boost my vocabulary first.
I like Genki. I find the explanations on grammar to be quite clear. It is the only text book I've used so far. That being said, it is very focused on university students - people in that stage of life and the sort of vocabulary that would be of use to them. It's been several decades since I went to university...
I'm solid on hiragana, and decent at katakana. I try to avoid romanji entirely. I know most of the N5 kanji (about 100 kanji), in terms of being able to recognize their meaning, but not in drawing them.
My struggle is learning new vocabulary - I need to increase my rate of speed on that. It takes me a while to learn the 40-50 new words introduced in each chapter of Genki. I make my own flashcards (from paper index cards).
For learning, I prefer old school - pen, paper and a physical textbook. Screens are ok to supplement, but as my main learning tools I like paper. Of course every one learns differently. Through this process, I am learning about how I learn, which in itself is an interesting process.
At some point I need to start with comprehensible input in easy Japanese. But I think I need to boost my vocabulary first.
Tams
Member
To each their own.
I found all the traditional textbooks to be rather staid. They give you a good base, but are all pretty bad at bringing it all together.
Anki is incredibly powerful, though setting it up properly is a mess, as is finding a good deck.
Hence why I suggest Human Japanese and then Satori Reader.
The Kanji Study app is great if you have a device with a stylus. It's one reason I have so many Samsung devices. The S6 Lite is good enough for language study.
Really, for building up vocabulary, you want to get to reading stuff you enjoy as soon as possible. NHK Easy News should have some topics that interest you, and I wouldn't scoff at manga like Yotsuba&!. Satori Reader also has a range of stories to choose from, all voice acted.
fran.fernandez
Member
I live in Japan for 12 years , work in game development (big AAA) only use Japanese at work .
But I don’t like anime and I prefer serious story telling games
But I don’t like anime and I prefer serious story telling games
My mistake with learning the kana is that I'll learn it and jump right back into romanji again and eventually forgot all of the katakana and the similar looking hiragana characters.
Never even heard of Tobira. I'll take a look at the digital Human Japan series and Satori Reader as well. I have several Japanese dictionaries but not Takoboto.
I've used anki several times in the past and it never really stuck with me, but I can always try try again. I probably need to combine it with writing down what I miss for reviews.
I also do watch some Japanese news shorter videos. I subscribed to I think 2 Japanese speaking only podcasts for learning but they are a bit too much for me right now.
For Kanji I have that rtk book and I have first 1,000 kanji card decks to study with.
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Tams
Member
It's a matter of forcing yourself.
Romaji is great for absolute beginners, phrasebooks, and if you're in a hurry and are being lazy (and not for studying).
But otherwise you need to use the character system that Japanese uses. You need to get used to it as a norm.
RtK is hit or miss. I understand it, but it just doesn't work well for me in terms of using it in Japanese communication. Also, the more complicated the kanji get, the more convoluted and less useful it gets.
Forcing myself to use it only is the plan, eventually. After the 2 notebooks of vocab.
I'm mostly just using Rtk as a way to get a general grasp of kanji at the start.